TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — United States Senator Mark Kelly, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and AZ-07 Congressional candidate Adelita Grijalva held a press conference with healthcare advocates, Friday afternoon, to talk about the proposed cuts to Medicaid.
The discussion was in response to the conversations about potential cuts to Medicaid by Congress during current budget discussions.
"Arizona's kids, and seniors in nursing homes, and working families are going to get kicked off their health care," Kelly said.
He added, "The latest estimate that we just got this week, it appears about 190,000 Arizonans will lose their health insurance."
The House Budget Committee began talking about the proposed budget, Friday. The initial budget proposal, put forth by Republicans, was turned down by a 21-16 — within the committee.
Some Republicans argue these are not cuts but rather work requirements that would save billions. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the legislation could strip over 8 million people of their Medicaid coverage over the next decade. The eligibility changes would not take effect until 2029, raising concerns about whether moderate Republicans can accept these long-term implications.
Another point of contention in the proposal is the inclusion of tax measures, notably the restoration of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. It's currently limited to $10,000, this cap remains a contentious issue among Republicans from high-tax states.
The committee has a self-imposed deadline to pass the legislation by next Friday.
